Gospel Survey
Use Jesus Ministry with Disciples by Season.pdf, Method and Message of Jesus Teaching - Chapter 4 Kingdom of God.pdf, Israel Region Map.pdf, and the below outline.
Gospels
Piecing four gospels together
Synoptic Gospels: Matthew and Luke worked off of Mark and maybe “Q”
- “Q” is an abbreviation of German Quelle meaning “source.” Matthew and Luke have too many word-for-word parallels outside of Mark to have been written without another common source. No manuscript exist for Q, it is a constructed assumption.
Gospels authors are selective and adaptive.
Matthew (60’s/70’s) – Jesus in Jewish terms
Mark (50’s) – Jesus in Greek terms
Luke (60’s/70’s) – Jesus in Professional terms
John (85 or later) – Evangelistic (“these things are written so that you may believe”); may also have been designed to combat heresies such as Gnosticism.
Outline – 30 year private life, becomes a rabbi, 3 years public ministry
- Preview of who Jesus is
- Jesus’ early years – Birth, age 12 Temple events
- Cousin John paving the way, Baptizes Jesus and inaugurates His public ministry
- In Galilee (Galilee is the agrarian working class, Judea is merchant & trade class)
- Miracles and Healings especially prevalent early on
- Calling the 12 - plans to release church fathers)
- Sermon on the Mount – connects OT and NT (Matthew 5-7)
- Parables in an agrarian context – soil, seed, harvest, yeast
- Beelzebub rejection – turn in Jesus ministry: Private training for the 12 instead of Messianic signs for public settings, moved mainly in Gentile areas (avoiding Jewish persecution), used parables so that only seekers would learn.
- Gentile Areas Surrounding Galilee - Discusses death, Messiah-ship, and true religion primarily with the 12
- Judean Ministry
- Pointed saying against the Pharisees (against their interpretation, authenticity, and cold hearts)
- Several attempts to arrest and kill Jesus
- Perea
- Pulls a little bit away from the hot-bed of conflict he stirred in Judea – “not his time”
- Discusses what it means to follow him – count the cost, associate with sinners, proper use of money
- Last and greatest signs – raising Lazarus
- Jerusalem
- Triumphant entry
- Fields question on taxes, resurrection, and his authority before silencing the traps with his own question on why David would call his son Lord.
- Olivet Discourse - Nearness & watchfulness for the Kingdom
- Last Supper
- Upper Room Discourse (John 14-17) – unity with God and believers, prayer promised, the coming Holy Spirit.
- Betrayal, Trial, Execution, Resurrection – removed guilt, bore wrath, imparted righteousness, conquered death, established a new humanity destined for glory
- Final appearances explaining resurrection and pointing to the Holy Spirit.